Lens adjusting means for photocopy machines



0d. 28, 1947. I sABEL ETAL 2,429,896 I LENS ADJUSTING MEANS FOR PHOTOCOPY MACHINES Filed Au s, 1946 2 Sheebs-Sheet 1 4Q 66 lilllf a m t Oct. 28, 1947. s. R. SABEL. AL

LENS ADJUSTING MEANS FOR PHOTOCOPY MACHINES Filgd Aug. 3, 1946 2 Shoets-$heet 2.

Patented Oct. 28, 1947 LENS ADJUSTING MEANS FOR PHOTO- COPY MACHINES Edward R. Sabel and Frank I. Galbrecht, Rochester, N. Y., assignors to The Haloid Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 3, 1946, Serial No. 688,200

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a photocopy machine, of the general type employed for photographing letters, documents, or other records, including mechanism for processing the prints immediately after exposure and cutting them off, by carrying them through developing, fixing and washing liquids, which processing forms part of the machine, and the invention has for its purpose to afford a structure designed to obtain better prints in faster time than heretofore and useful particularly in connection with processing mechanism of the general type disclosed in Reissue Patent No. 22,654, July 3, 1945, or similar tanks and conveying apparatus.

A more particular purpose of the invention is to afford a simple and practical construction for simultaneously adjusting the copy-board, lens system, prism, shutter housing, and forward end of the bellows all as a unit, in relation to the paper magazine and processing mechanism, thereby avoiding the necessity of moving the processing mechanism for focusing adjustments.

Another object of the invention is to afford a structure in which a processing mechanism, paper drier, and paper magazine can be maintained in fixed relationship to each other, and all necessary focusing adjustments obtained by moving the copy-board, lens system, prism, and shutter housing horizontally to and from the paper magazine, thus providing a more eilicient arrangement since the weight and size of the processing mechanism and drier do not limit the designer have to be taken into consideration as where they are adjustable in relation to the lens system and copy-board.

Still a further purpose of the invention is to afford a simple, sturdy, rigid and efiicient structure in which the copy-board, lens system, prism, and shutter housing are connected for unitary horizontal adjustments toward and from the paper magazine, and to provide mechanism whereby such adjustments can be easily had.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in th claims. following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig, l is a view inside elevation illustrating one practicalembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view on 2 the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, I designates the legs of a stationary frame, upon which is supported uitable processing mechanism, not shown, and located within a housing 2, the processing mechanism including means for conveying the paper through tanks for developing, fixing, and washing the prints as usual in this type of apparatus, and constructed in accordance with Reissue PatentNo. 22,654, July 3, 1945, or of other suitable form, it being understood that the paper 3 after being fed from the paper magazine 4 and cut off, is fed to and carried through the processing mechanism located within the housing 2.

The processing mechanism, also the paper drier, not shown, are stationary and in fixed relation to each other, requiring no adjustment in relation to the paper magazine or lens system, and all necessary adjustments for focusing are obtained in the manner now to be described by moving the copy-board and lens system in relation to the paper magazine;

To. accomplish this end, the stationary frame I is provided with longitudinal tracks 5, while the lens system and copy-board are connected to a horizontally adjustable movable frame that includes side bars 6 supported and movable on the tracks 5 and held in place by means of guide rollers I mounted on fixed brackets 8 and en-' gagingthe upper edges of the tracks 5. The movable frame includes uprights 8 connected to the forward ends of theside bars 6, the uprights 8 being connected by a transverse bottom rail 9 and a transverse top rail 10, while H designates angular braces connecting the side bars 6 and the uprights 8.

The uprights 8 are provided near their lower ends with anti-friction rollers l2 which engage and rest on the rails I3, the latter being of any suitable form and shown as consisting of angle irons fastened to the floor on which the machine is mounted. The rails 13 support and maintain the movable frame steady as it is adjusted horizontally to position the copy-boardand lens system in relation to the paper magazine and processing mechanism on the stationaryframe.

The movable frame is operated for horizontal adjustment by means of pinions l4 engaging racks l5 mounted on the upper side of the top side bars 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the pinions [4 being fixed on an arbor I6 that is journalled in supporting brackets I! which are fastened to the forward ends of the tracks 5. The arbor I6 is provided with an exposed end 18 to receive a hand crank by which the arbor and pinions [4 can be turned to operate the side bars 6 and the movable frame for adjustment, and the frame is held in adj sted p si io by means of a lockin el l9 that is rotatable on a threaded portion 20 of the arbor it, so that after the movable frame is adjusted to the desired position, the locking wheel I9 is turned tightly against the collar 2| to hold the arbor l6 and pinions l4 against further movement until the locking wheel I9 is loosened; One of the racks I operates an indicator visible through a housing 22, to show the position of the adjustable frame in relation to the copy-board, as usual in this type of machine. The parts are shown in Fig. l as adjusted so as to produce an, image of the same size as the subject, and the vertical position of the copy-board is obtained in the manner that will now be described.

The copy-board is indicated at 23, being mounted on arms 24 of a frame that includes a cross-member 25 having threaded openings engaged by vertical screws 26 which are rotatably supported at their lower ends in bearings on the bottom rail 9 and journalled at their upper ends in brackets 21 carried by the cross-rail Ill. The screws 26 are provided with bevel pinions 28 at their upper ends driven by bevel pinions 29' fixed on the shaft 30 which is journalled in the brackets 21 and in bearing plates 3! attached to the uprights 8, while the outer end 32 of the shaft 30 is constructed for engagement by a removable crank handle 33 by which the shaft 30 can be turned to raise or lower the copy-board to the required position in relation to the lens system and prism. 34 designates a housing through an opening of which an indicator is visible to show the vertical position to which the shaft 30. and copy-board are adjusted at any given time. The arms 24 supporting'the copy-board move vertically on guide-rails 35 which are supported between the bottom and top rails 9 and [0 respectively.

With the construction thus far described, it will be seen that the movable frameis adjustable horizontally on the stationary frame to any required position and the copy-board is adjustable vertically on the movable frame to any point, and in order to effect the necessary horizontal adjustment of the lens system, prism, and shutter housing, simultaneously with and to the same extent as the movable frame, the latter is preferably connected at its upper end by suitable rigid ele ments to the shutter housing. In the construction shown, each upright 8 has fastened to its upper end an arm or bracket 36 that is inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the shutter housing 31, the forward ends of the arms 36- being fixedly attached to the shutter housing, which carries the usual lens system, and prism 38, while 39 designates the bellows secured at its forward end to the shutter housing and at its rear end to the paper magazine.

Thus the shutter housing, lens system, and prism are rigidl and stationarily supported on the movable frame by means of the uprights 8 and arms 36, and as a result of this arrangement, any horizontal adjustment of the movable frame is likewise imparted to the shutter housing, lens system, andprism. Thus for any required focusing, the movable frame is adjusted horizontally on the stationary frame and during such adjustment carries with it the shutter housing and lens system, while the copy-board is adjustable vertically on the movable frame to the proper point depending on the size Of print desired, and these adjustments are obtained without disturbing the position of or in any way affecting the paper magazine, and processing mechanism mounted on the stationary frame. Thus a processing mechanism of any preferred size or weight can be employed, the processing mechanism and paper drier always being maintained stationary, eliminating the necessity of moving these parts for focusing adjustment and making it possible to design a more efficient and faster machine than heretofore available and one that occupies a minimum amount of floor space.

While the invention has been described with relation to the particular construction shown, it is not confined to the details herein disclosed, and this. application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the improvement and the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a photocopy machine, the combination with a stationary frame including vertically spaced elongated longitudinal tracks, guide rollers associated with said tracks, processing mechanism and a paper magazine mounted on the stationary frame, of a movable frame including top and bottom elongated side bars engaging said tracks and adjustable thereon between the tracks and guide rollers, floor supported rails, the movable frame including uprights rigidly connected to the front ends of said top and bottom side bars, rollers carried by said uprights and movable on said floor supported rails, transverse top and bottom rails rigidly connecting the uprights, vertical guide rails supported by said transverse rails, a copy-board adjustable vertically on said guide rails and extending forwardly from the uprights and guide rails, the copy-board being unobstructed and accessible on three sides, vertical operating screws journalled on said transverse rails and operatively connected to the copy-board for moving it upwardly or downwardly, a shutter housing carried by the movable frame, a lens and prism mount carried by the shutter housing, and a bellows connected at its front end to the shutter housing and at its rear end to the paper magazine.

2. In a photocopy machine, the combination with a stationary frame including vertically spaced elongated longitudinal tracks, guide rollers associated with said tracks, processing mechanism and a paper magazine mounted on the stationary frame, of a movable frame including top and bottom elongated side bars engaging said tracks and adjustable thereon between the tracks and guide rollers, floor supported rails, the movable frame including uprights rigidly connected to the front ends of said top and bottom side bars, rollers carried by said uprights and movable on said floor supported rails, transverse top and bottom rails rigidly connecting said uprights, vertical guide rails supported by said transverse rails, a copy-board adjustable vertically on said guide rails and extending forwardly from the guide rails and uprights, th copyboardbeing unobstructed and accessible on three sides, arm carried at the upper ends of said uprights and extending inwardly, upwardly, and forwardly therefrom, a shutter housing carried at the front ends of said arms and located above the copy-board and forwardly of said movable frame, a lens and prism mount carried by the shutter housing, and a bellows connected at its front end to the shutter housing and at its rear end to the paper magazine.

3. In a photocopy machine, the combination with a stationary frame including vertically spaced elongated longitudinal tracks, guide rollers associated with said tracks, processing mechanism and a paper magazine mounted on the stationary frame, of a movable frame including top and bottom elongated side bars engaging said tracks and adjustable thereon between the tracks and guide rollers, floor supported rails, the movable frame including uprights rigidly connected to the front ends of said top and bottom side bars, rollers" carried by said uprights and movable on said floor supported rails, transverse top and bottom rails rigidly connecting the uprights, vertical guide rails supported by said transverse REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 20 1,160,242 Beidler Nov. 16, 1915 1,822,677 Taylor Sept. 8, 1931 1,822,678 Taylor Sept. 8, 1931 1,895,654 Forrest Jan. 31, 1933 

